diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
index 9029e1ce40..2759053920 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -208,7 +208,10 @@ phases:
        $sdk_path = "$(Build.SourcesDirectory)\git-sdk-64"
        init "$sdk_path" "https://dev.azure.com/git-for-windows/git-sdk-64/_git/git-sdk-64" 0
        init usr\src\build-extra https://github.com/git-for-windows/build-extra 1
-    displayName: 'initialize the Git for Windows SDK'
+
+       # Help MSYS2 runtime startup by initializing /etc/passwd
+       & "$sdk_path\git-cmd" --command=usr\\bin\\bash.exe -lc "mkpasswd -c >>/etc/passwd"; c
+    displayName: 'Initialize the Git for Windows SDK'
   - powershell: |
        # Helper to check the error level of the latest command (exit with error when appropriate)
        function c() { if (!$?) { exit(1) } }